griffith



w. B. GRIFFITH ACCELE'RATED DRY PIPE VALVE Jan. 27, 193i.

Filed June 29, 1927 Patented Jan, 2'47, 1931 [ift-UNITED STATES PATENroFFICE `WILLIAM E. GRIFFITH, or AUnUBoN, NEW JERsEmAssIGNoR To STAR SPRINKIJER CORPORATION, A'coRroRA'rIoN or NEW JERSEY Appneaao mea June 29, 1927. serial No. 202,297.

My invention relates tov improvements in dry pipe valves `for use in sprinkler systems for ire protection, and partlcularly relates to an accelerator for increasing the speed of 'operation of the dry pipe valvewhen the sprinkler system is to be brought into operation. Y v

The object of my invention is to provide a dry pipe valve vwith a direct means of transferring the air pressure .from a chamber above the air clapper to aV chamber below the air'clapper for reducing the timev required for the air clapper to open and bring the dry,`

pipe valve into operation; a further object l5 is to combine an accelerator Vwith the 'dry pipe valve whereby the casing, or housing, of the dry pipe valve will enclose the accelerator valve; a still further object is to locate the accelerator Vvalve immediately Vadjacent to the clapper of the dry pipe valve, thus eliminating all pipe connection leading to a separate accelerator unit, thereby reducing the time required for the pressure to be brought into action to assist in opening the dry pipe Avalve clapper; a-still further o bject is to couple the accelerator valve with the drip valve clapper whereby the latter will be closed at the instant the" accelerator Valve opens, thus avoiding` the loss of any pressure through the dripvalve; anda stillV further object isv to combine the accelerator with the dry pipe valve as a single unit for` thepurpose of reducing the number; of parts and pipe connections, thus saving 1n the cost of manufacture and providing a unit whichY occupies less space than the separate units now in general use. Y

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dry .pipe valve embodying my novel 'form of accelerator as a unit construction; and 'Figure 2 is a partial sectional View similar to Figure 1, showingpthe accelerator' valve open and the dripvalve closed.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters refer to like parts, 1 represents a drypipe valve comprising a casing 2 having theusual inlet pipe 3 and outlet pipe 4, 4 forming inlet and outlet passageways through thecasing 1.

The inlet pipe 3 is provided with a water valve seat 5 adapted to be closed by a water clapper G. Surrounding the water valve seat 5 is an air valve seat 8, formed upon a `web 10 within vthe casing 1, which web forms anV 55 integral part of the-casing. The air valve seat 8 is closed by an air clapper 12. In the form shown in the drawing the air clapper and water clapper are mounted upon a singlesarm 13 pivotally mounted upon a shaft 14 secured within the casing 1. Any desired form of clappersmay be used.

Vhen the clappers 6 and 12 are closed, as shown in the drawing, an air pressure chamber 14 is formed above the air clapper and 65 a water pressure chamber 15 is formed within the inlet pipe whereby a high water pressure is confined by. a relatively y lower air pressure, due to the difference in the sizes of the air and water clappers. An intermediate or neutral chamber 16 is formed within the casing 1 between the air clapper 12 and the water clapper 6. Said chamber 16 is normally open to the atmosphere through the drip pipe 18. The latter is usually provided with a-ball check valve 19 for preventing the outlet of water when the clappers are open and water is flowing through the casing 1.

,The web 10 of the casing 1 is provided with an aperture 2O forming a passagewaybetween the air chamber 14 and the intermediate chamber 16. Said passageway `or aperture 2O is provided with a removable valve seat 22 upon which a valve 23 closes for shutting off communication through said aperture 20.

The casing 1 is provided with an opening 25 formed in its outer wall 2, which opening 25 isclosed by a Hexible diaphragm 26, held upon the casing 1 by the flange 27 of an air container 28,'which flange'27 is secured by Vfastening devices 29 to the casing 1.` Said container 28 forms a chamber 30, which is closed by the diaphragm 2,6. A pipe 32 connects said chamber 30 with a slow leak device 33, which in turn is connected througlra pipe 34 with the air chamber 14 of the system above the air clapper 12. Said'slow leak device 33 consists of a part 36 having a minute .aperture 37 through which the air pressure the air pressure within the,air pressure chamber ll above the air clapper l2. The

rod Ll-O at its loiver end is providedavithfzu drip pipe valve orclapper 16 which is norinall'v'ilield by said rodfl'Q` in spaced relation with the valve seat 477 surrouni'ling the drip pipe.lt5,'ti1us normally -keeping the drip -pipe open,

The operation of my inventionis as tolloivs: rl`he air and water clappers l and@ are closed .npon'their seats as lshovvn in the drawing. Air `forced -into the s vstemV above the air clapper and` maintained at a suilicient pressure to iholdthe Water clapper (i closed aainst the ivatei pressure -in the chamberla. The sprino' 44: holdsthe :recel-- crater valve i223 closed so that theair pressure Will-enter the cham-ber in the container 28 throughthe sloivdeal; dev iee E-until said pressure is ernialkin the chambers l-l: land V30. dien thes) einA is opened through a sprinkler headlnot shown in the drawing), the air pressure inthe chamber lllis reen-.ced but the ai'rlpressure in the container chamber 3( is maintainedsullicientlv Vbyy the slov,v 'lealil device 'to' cause the air in the'chamber 30 to expand and move the diaphragmt against theaetion of the spring land the reduced pressure in the chamber lll,`thustopening'the valve iand allmvingxthe air pressure to pass rapidly"thronghlthe Aaperture 20 into the lintermediate chain'berlt, so that the "air pres sure Will equalize in the chamberslV and lli, thusl causing Athefclappers `G and l2 to open at an earlier pcriodfof time than ,they would it the intermediate `chamber llf'contained airat atmospheric pressure. ltgivill be understood, as above described; that the drip pipevalve sll is closed simultaneously' with the openipg of the valve 23, thus contining the air pressure Within the chamberld until-'the air chipper l2 opens'. The opening olf ilieair chipper takes place before the' air pressure `in -lhe` container is reduced suliil cintlv lo allow thespring del to again close the ,valve Qland `open the drip valve i6.' Bv embodying the dry pipevalvejvith my novel accelerator `and locating the accelerator valve 23 Within the niain'valve casing, the air pressure which has been holding the air chipper l2 closed transi''erred innnediately, n on the initial c.reduction ot' airpressure in the system, A to,theundersideot the airclapfv per so that the pressures above and below the air clapper are equalized, thus permitting the air and water clappers to open, when there is still high air pressure in the system, by the action of the Water pressure upon the underside of the Water clapper.

l claim l. A dr v-pipe valve comprising -a casing having an inlet passage and an outlet passage tlirougli\vliich water supplied to a Y sprinkler systenu a Water clapper closing said inlet passage, a Webupon the inner surfaceofthe ,walls o the casing, a valve seat upon said web, an air clapper adapted to close upon saithseat-'forming an air chamber above the air clapper and forming an intermet iate chamberbetween saidclappers, said airA clappoi'operatively `associated `with the vyateimclupper. said web having a passageway torined therethrough located `between .said valve seat and the out-'cr vfall oi: the fasing, a valve for elosingtlie latter, and means for oiening said last mentioned 'alve upon a sudden vrednotion ol air pressure above said a ir'clapperlforiadinitting the airnnder pressureinti) said intermediate chamber through the,passageway vtermed inthe ivob.

2. A dryp'ipe valvecomirisingacasinghaving .an inletand an outlet passage through whichiwater suppliedto a sprinkler sys"- tem, a Vwater clapper'for.closinglsaid inlet passayea web upon the inner surface olf the whllof .the casing,.a valve sat upon said web, said casing havingaan air pressure chaniiber toi-med therein located between said web and said outlet, an air cla-pper held upon said seat by4 air under pressure Within the casing above said-Web ttor holding the Water clapper closed, an intermediate chamber within' said casing .located ibetween said clapliiers saidfiveb having a passageway comi municatiug between said' air pressure chamberandsaid.intermediate chamber, an accelerator valve located upon said web tor controlling said passagewa)TA formed through said Webfleading Vio said intermediate Chamber, means for normallyA holding the accelera-tor valve close-d -upon -the web, a Container having an open Aend,communicating with an opening in thecasing above the'ivveb, a movablemember held between said con tainer Aand said 'casingtherebyY to separate the Vcasing from said chamberpa connection between said container'andt said airpressure chamber :torlningwa restricted passage flor the :iii-pressureto'slewly pass, a rod interA posed between said rmember and said accelerator alvewvherebv the air pressure in the container upon a sudden reduction of pressure in said pre-:saire chamber will actuate-said member and said rod for opening the accelerator valve,

3. A 'div1 pipe valve comprising -a casing having an inletand an outlet passage,` a vvater elapper `tor closing saidinlet passage,1 an air pressure chamber Within said casing, an

air clapper held in the closed position by air under pressure within said air chamberV adapted for holding the water clapper closed, an intermediate chamber within said casing Vseparated Jfrom said air chamber by the air clapper and having a passageway communicating with said air chamber, an accelerator valve located within said casing adapted for controlling said passageway between said air chamber and sai-d intermediate chamber, a container mounted upon said casing, a connection between said container and said air pressure chamber forming a re'- stricted passagefor the air under pressure to slowly pass, a movable member in said container', a rodV secured to said movablemember, said accelerator valve mounted upon said rod, said casing having a drip aperture formed therein, and a drip valve secured upon said rod adapted to close the` drip .aperture when said rod is moved by a greater pressure in the container than that y in the air pressure chamber for opening the accelerator valve.

4. A dry pipe valve comprising a casing having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, a water clapper closing saidinletpassage, a web within the casing, a valve seat upon sai-d web, an air clapper adapted tocloseV upon said seat forming an air chamber above the air clapper and an intermediate chamber between said clappers, said air clap'- per operatively associated with the water clapper, said web having a. passageway formed therethrough, an accelerator valve for closing the latter, a rod upon which the accelerator valveV is mounted, a spring tending to hold said accelerator valve closed, said casing having a drip aperture formed therein, a drip valve upon said rod normally held in open position, a container mounted upon said casing, a connection between said container and said air pressure chamber through which the pressure therein will slowly equalize, and a movable member in said container for actuating said rod upon a sudden reduction of pressure in said air pressure chamber.

5. A dry pipe valvecomprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet passagethrough which water is supplied to a.` sprinkler system, a water clapper for closing said inlet passage, a web upon the inner surface of the wall of the casing, a valve' seat upon said web, said casing having an air pressure chamber 'formed therein located between said web and said outlet, an air clapper held upon saidseat by air under pressure within said air chamber of the casing ior holding the water clapper closed, an intermediate chamber within said casing located between said clappers, said web Vhaving a passageway communicating between said air pressureV chamber and said intermediate chamber, an accelerator valve upon Said web located betweenthe air clappcr seat and the outer wall of the casing for controlling said passageway. formed in the web leading to said intermediate chamber, means for normally holding the accelerator valve closed upon the web, a container having an open end communicating with an opening in the casing above the web, vand a movable member held between said container and said casing therebyto separatethecasing from said chamber, a connection between said container ico 

